I am still journaling from back in October.  One weekend, Mom gave Mike and me a very special gift.  She paid for us to stay at a hotel so that we could have two days with our grandchildren. So we spent some time with the family,  held our baby girl Quinn, and then took the two older children to a McDonalds for supper AND the fun playground there.  When we returned the kids back to their home, we received permission to have Tristen spend the night with us at our hotel, and enjoy some swim time with Grandma.

Loving on baby girl Quinn.

Tristen & Brogan saying hi to Grandpa & Grandma who are sitting at the table down below them.

Enjoying supper at McDonalds (in between playing on the equipment.

Tristen made friends each time she was in the pool and hot tub, but a good part of the time in the morning swim, she had the pool & hot tub to herself. She enjoyed doing all sorts of tricks for her Grandma!  (And I took a LOT of photos of her hamming it up!)    

Smiling her pleasure at the evening swim!

Our three grandchildren                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Another special time with the children came the following weekend  when we went to Tristen's piano recital.  It was good to hear her improvement from the last time we'd heard her ... and she was good that time, too!    It was fun seeing Brogan playing with his dad afterwards, and spending some time with their other Grandma Diana, who is a very sweet friend to us.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Tristen waiting to play & then playing; the kids' other sweet grandma, Diana with Quinn; Brogan getting exercise & using his dad's head as a plate for cookie crumbs!

Some of you know that I grew up in the Philippines --  a child of missionary parents.  This is my other home country and people of my heart.  I know that everyone knows what my prayer request is .... it's in the current news continually. Please pray for the people of the Philippines, especially in the areas in which the worst damage has been done in Tacloban City on the island of Leyte.  The latest death count I've read is 4000, just in that city, and every structure in the city was destroyed.  Many organizations are collecting money and supplies, and are being taken to the people, but the supplies and help are very slow in actually getting to the people.  Two of the more famous organizations providing help are ~ 1. Samaritan's Purse  and  2. American Red Cross, if you would like to send financial help.

 This past Monday was Veteran's Day, and this year I have been attempting to tell each of my friends whom I am aware of being vets: "THANK YOU!"

THANK YOU VETERANS!